❓ Ms. Mettam questions the Minister for Health regarding COVID-19 vaccination of healthcare workers, specifically addressing reports of deadline extensions and redeployment. The Minister refutes the reported extension, clarifies the policy regarding unvaccinated workers, and expresses confidence in achieving high vaccination rates.
AnsweredQoN 572Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CORONAVIRUS —
VACCINATIONS — HEALTHCARE WORKERS
572. Ms L. METTAM to the Minister for Health:
I refer to reports in The West
Australian today that tier 1 healthcare workers have been given a two-week
extension to receive their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
(1) How many health workers have
been redeployed into other roles?
(2) What
additional measures or incentives, if any, are being implemented to reach a 100
per cent rate in this group?
(3) What will
happen if these workers do not get vaccinated?
VACCINATIONS — HEALTHCARE WORKERS
572. Ms L. METTAM to the Minister for Health:
I refer to reports in The West
Australian today that tier 1 healthcare workers have been given a two-week
extension to receive their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
(1) How many health workers have
been redeployed into other roles?
(2) What
additional measures or incentives, if any, are being implemented to reach a 100
per cent rate in this group?
(3) What will
happen if these workers do not get vaccinated?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(3) I thank the member for the question. It gives me
an opportunity to correct the front page of The West Australian this morning: it is just not true. The West today reported that we are extending the tier 1 vaccination deadline ,
and that is not correct. There have been no unvaccinated healthcare workers in
a tier 1 facility since 1 October. The fact of the matter is that we are
continuing to work with all healthcare workers to make sure that they
understand their obligations about where they need to work within the system.
We do know that any healthcare workers who
are not fully vaccinated have been moved to a tier 2 facility or some other part of the health facility, and we will continue to work with them. From that
perspective, we know that healthcare workers must be vaccinated in order to be
able to protect themselves and protect their patients.
I am just seeing whether I have
further information to provide the member. I have seen the experience in New South
Wales, which has a mandatory healthcare worker regime. I think, at the end of
the day, 0.01 per cent of healthcare workers
left the system as a result of the mandatory regime. We do not anticipate Western Australia being any different from that situation. Obviously, any
healthcare worker who leaves our system at a time of a shortage in the
healthcare workforce is a concern, but we are very confident that all
healthcare workers will take the opportunity to get themselves vaccinated. The
mandatory regime is simply an important reminder to them of the importance of
continuing to get vaccinated.
I repeat: there have been no
unvaccinated healthcare workers in a tier 1 facility—for the
information of members, that is emergency departments, high dependency units,
intensive care units and so on—since 1 October. We will continue to
work with all the other healthcare workers during this period. We are requiring them to come forward with proof of
vaccination. If they cannot provide that proof of vaccination, they are moved to a tier 2 facility. Ultimately,
those people in the second tier will be required to be vaccinated by 1 November
2021 and will need to have received their second vaccination by 1 December
2021. This is an important program; we
expect all members of the healthcare workforce to support it. I know we have unanimous support from all the healthcare
unions. They are reporting, with very few exceptions, unanimous support
from their membership as well. We look forward to seeing all our healthcare
workers vaccinated so that they can look after themselves and the patients who
are in their care.
an opportunity to correct the front page of The West Australian this morning: it is just not true. The West today reported that we are extending the tier 1 vaccination deadline ,
and that is not correct. There have been no unvaccinated healthcare workers in
a tier 1 facility since 1 October. The fact of the matter is that we are
continuing to work with all healthcare workers to make sure that they
understand their obligations about where they need to work within the system.
We do know that any healthcare workers who
are not fully vaccinated have been moved to a tier 2 facility or some other part of the health facility, and we will continue to work with them. From that
perspective, we know that healthcare workers must be vaccinated in order to be
able to protect themselves and protect their patients.
I am just seeing whether I have
further information to provide the member. I have seen the experience in New South
Wales, which has a mandatory healthcare worker regime. I think, at the end of
the day, 0.01 per cent of healthcare workers
left the system as a result of the mandatory regime. We do not anticipate Western Australia being any different from that situation. Obviously, any
healthcare worker who leaves our system at a time of a shortage in the
healthcare workforce is a concern, but we are very confident that all
healthcare workers will take the opportunity to get themselves vaccinated. The
mandatory regime is simply an important reminder to them of the importance of
continuing to get vaccinated.
I repeat: there have been no
unvaccinated healthcare workers in a tier 1 facility—for the
information of members, that is emergency departments, high dependency units,
intensive care units and so on—since 1 October. We will continue to
work with all the other healthcare workers during this period. We are requiring them to come forward with proof of
vaccination. If they cannot provide that proof of vaccination, they are moved to a tier 2 facility. Ultimately,
those people in the second tier will be required to be vaccinated by 1 November
2021 and will need to have received their second vaccination by 1 December
2021. This is an important program; we
expect all members of the healthcare workforce to support it. I know we have unanimous support from all the healthcare
unions. They are reporting, with very few exceptions, unanimous support
from their membership as well. We look forward to seeing all our healthcare
workers vaccinated so that they can look after themselves and the patients who
are in their care.
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